Gary Washburn of Boston.com reports that Celtics center Kendrick Perkins wishes to remain a Celtic after completing the last year of his contract this season. By his standards anyway, Perkins was having a solid year and playoff run, averaging 10.1 points and 7.6 rebounds (regular season) before suffering a season-ending knee injury in Game 6 of the Finals. At 25 years old, there is much room for improvement, but he is already expected to miss the first three months of the upcoming season because of the injury. Taking that into consideration, one can only wonder whether the defensive-minded Perkins can return to his old self after returning from rehab.

Kendrick Perkins Long-term: Is it Worth the Risk?

This is Perk’s perspective on how his NBA future will shape up after this year. The Celtics should do their best to make his dreams come true. Shaquille O’Neal is 38, and Jermaine O’Neal is about to turn 32. Perkins is only 25 years old.

Shaq and Jermaine O’Neal have their legacies, yes, but the signings of these two big men have created an awfully small window for the center position in Boston, and the team could really be in trouble if Kendrick Perkins doesn’t get another contract. With Perkins expected to make $4.6 million this year, it’s likely that his next contract will be roughly the same, which is pretty good for a center who may not be able to score, but is one heck of a defender.

Perkins says he won’t go out of his way to have his agents press for a new deal. With the future of the team so uncertain in the near future, maybe the Celtics should be the ones pressing.